I have Hawks’ 8.8” rear end in my car now but quite frustratingly my UMI torque arm does not fit. I’ve tried the holes for 9” users that pull the torque arm in closer, Ive made sure my axle was centered properly and not kicked over to the driver’s side but the arm is colliding with the plate that anchors the fuel lines and seat belt anchor before it’s over far enough to go into the stock mount. The box Hawks built to mount the torque arm to on this axle is very bulky and pushes the back of the TA out considerably. What have users of this axle used for a torque arm solution? Looking for something that would take it off the tail shaft housing of the trans too and I’m running a T56 behind an SBC. I’ve noticed the stock TA makes a bend in toward the center of the car after clearing the rear u joint but haven’t seen that feature in any offerings and my UMI arm would fit if they had emulated this feature.

 

I fought with this same issue. Need to use the second set of holes to push the t/a closer to the center of the car but to do this you will need to cut the first set of holes off the top mounting plate to make it fit in place on top the large 8.8 center section. I also had to separate the t/a and mount the bracket to the rear then slide the arm all the way forward in the mount then pull it back into place yes its a huge pain. Anything else in the way got trimmed or moved and i used the hooker ls swap crossmember.

 

Ya, tried all that even the Holley x member but it doesn’t fit with the Alston’s SFC’s. Centered axle, moved it back a touch, cut the plates down on the axle end it it still gets into the dang trans tunnel. Almost makes it to the stock mounting location without contact. I won’t use this arm as long as it attached to the trans, using the stock TA currently like a fuse. I’d rather it break than the trans. I’ve thought to build my own divorced TA mount with the trans x member I already have if I can just get it over far enough.

 

Did you keep the torque arm bolts loose until the front mount was located? The front of my torque arm can swing left/right a bit if the axle housing bolts are loose. I left the housing bolts finger tight until I got the front located and then torqued the housing bolts (something like 210 lb-ft if I remember right). I don't see how a person could tighten those bolts outside the car anyway. Need the axle fully tied to the car to reach that torque level.

 

Nothing regarding the torque arm has been cranked down tight and the car is at ride height. I can swing it back and forth, it just physically touches the car’s floorpan near halfway down the TA’s length as I move the nose towards the driver’s side to sit in the front mount. In the same area this arm hits the stock arm has about .5-.625”. Cutting and welding will be required to fit the bar to the car. I might be able to fit the car to the bar however and that is something I will attempt this afternoon once I’m home again. The UMI bar is just needlessly bulky, I said that when I pulled it of the box a few years ago. I had a th350 with an x member mount at that time and if I wasn’t careful then it would hit in the same area even with the stock rear axle. It’s just an over built, under designed part is all and I was trying to see what designs or brands others had used with better luck.

 

Several have made the arm work with the 8.8 mines been in for a few years now.

 

Took all day, relocated the obstructing part the TA was hitting in the trans tunnel, removed a LOT of material from the torque arm axle brackets and elongating the rear bolt holes (because their arc moves in toward the meat of the bracket) but the stupid thing is finally in with enough play to build a divorced mount on the x member instead of the tailshaft. That saves a few hundred dollars but that was ridiculous. I’ll be cutting more off the thing in areas where it’s all bulk and no structure too. Pull weight, give clearance. Removing 10lbs off this behemoth would hardly be noticeable. Over built, under designed.